Though it is a clash between the fifth and sixth-placed teams in the I-League points table, local giants East Bengal go into their match against Salgaocar FC with a six-point lead and will be hoping to extend the gap further at the Salt Lake Stadium here on Wednesday.
A win for either side will boost their chances of ending in the top three at the end of the tournament, but Salgaocar have a tough task of bridging the gap.
Having lost their last three outings, the visitors will be desperate to make a strong start against East Bengal who will play in an empty stadium due to security reasons.
East Bengal approach the match having collected seven points from their last three outings and are eyeing their 200th overall win in the tournament.
With a sturdy backline at his disposal, East Bengal's Dutch coach Eelco Schattorie's only concern is the form of his bungling goalkeepers Abhijit Mondal and Subhasis Roy Chowdhury.
The midfield, however, looks sorted with Harmanjot Singh Khabra, Lalrindika Ralte and Shylo Malswamtulunga striking up a sound combination.
The goal-scoring onus will once again be on the Nigerian forward duo of Ranty Martins and Dudu Omagbemi, who scored in their last outing against Mumbai FC in a 1-1- draw.
But they will be evenly matched in the centre of the pitch by Salgaocar's midfield pair of Ivorian Douhou Pierre and Rocus Lamare.
Striker Bikash Jairu, with his zeal and quick-feet, will also be a constant threat to the East Bengal defence.
Goalkeeper Subrata Paul, an ex-East Bengal custodian, will hope to keep his former team at bay and deny Martins a chance to create history by becoming the first player to score 200 goals in the competition.
